Citizens appreciate voter registration mobilisation drive

AS the civil society voter mobilisation targeting the last phase of the national voter registration blitz through roadshows, flash mobs and door-to-door campaigns entered its second day, citizens aired their appreciation of the exercise.

A convoy of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) and the Election Resource Centre (ERC)-trained mobilisers visited Mukafose and Budiriro high density suburbs’ busy streets and shopping centres meeting and talking to different people on Tuesday, December 5, 2017.

At Mhishi Shopping Centre in Mufakose, newly registered voter, Georgina Chikulo (40), told the civil society team that the voter registration mobilisation had benefitted her immensely.

“I am happy to have met your voter mobilisation team because when I said I did not have proof of residence and they explained to me about the affidavit, which I could use,” she said.

“So I have managed to register and the service was excellent because I took less than 5 minutes.

“I am going to encourage everyone that I come across to register to vote.”

However, other people are struggling to register to vote, even after getting enough understanding of Biometric Voter Registration (BVR), simply because of lack of identity documents.

Dexter Nyandoro (31), who hails from Goromonzi rural district and was a previous registered voter, has been trying to register on the new system as a voter in Mufakose, but his wish could not materialise because of lack of an identity document.

“I know that I need an identity document and proof of residence to register as a voter,” he explained.

“Yet I am failing to register to vote because I lost my identity document.

“I have heard that there is a mobile exercise but I have not met them.”

After being told that he could approach the district registry, Nyandoro elatedly promised to visit the centre and register as soon as he can.

The voter mobilisation targeting the fourth phase of the BVR blitz will continue in parts of Harare until Friday, November 8 while door-to-door voter mobilisers across the country continue to engage prospective voters.

The various teams have been helping clarify the requirements for voter registration, mobilising participants to register to vote and distributing voter education materials such as educational fliers, and branded T-shirts and hats.

Meanwhile, three civil society organisations, the Heal Zimbabwe Trust, ZimRights and ERC will partner in holding a national peace concert on Saturday, November 9 at Jerera Growth Point in Zaka.

Apart from the participants being encouraged to observe peace and register as voters, Zimbabwean international dancehall sensation Winky D will entertain them for free.